An entertainment blog that was started in 2006, ignored from 2009 to 2011 due to work commitments & the advent of social media. Is back on line as of Jan. 22, 2012.

Wednesday, August 30, 2006

In a galaxy really really really far far far far away.

Lost in the marketing maze that Star Wars has become since 1977 is the little known Star Wars Holiday Special. It has aired only once on TV on November 17, 1978 and George Lucas has since refused to even discuss it's existence.

He obviously gave the okay to this oft-ridiculed TV special but he literally had nothing to do with the production itself. The storyline is basically about Chewbacca and his family getting ready to celebrate "Life Day". Chewie and Han Solo are rushing to get there and all the other main characters from Star Wars (Luke, Leia, C-3p0 and Darth Vader) are all involved. The show lists them as starring in it but really they are just cameo appearances.

To lend some weight to the production, Bea Arthur, Art Carney, Diahann Carroll and Harvey Korman also appear. Really, all they do is make the show seem like more of a variety show. Oh wait, Jefferson Starship IS also there!!!!!! Google has posted the first half of the special. Please, I implore you to watch some of it, you really need to see how bad it is.

2. Carrie Fisher, visibly on some sort of alcohol or drugs, trips over a piece of the set at one point.

3. Despite the fact that Lucas has refused to even discuss this production, he used a similar set for Chewbacca's home planet that was in the Holiday Special in Star Wars III: The Revenge of The Sith.

4. The special includes 4 songs, This Minute Now peformed by Diahann Carroll is presented as a virtual reality presentation watched by Chewbacca's father. Light The Sky On Fire, sung by Jefferson Airplane and watched by one of the Imperial Guards. Bea Arthur, playing a bartender at the Mos Eisley canteen sings Good Night, But Not Goodbye and for the finale, Carrie Fisher sings a Life Day song to the tune of the Star Wars theme song.

5. Many internet website have posted details of a DVD release of this TV special. All have turned out to be hoaxes. According to George Lucas, if he had the time, he would take a sledgehammer to all the different copies of this special.